NJIT Self Study: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Meeting Documentation
Part 1. Attendance
Committee
Number:
Group 7: Curriculum: Evidence-centered, Research and
Professional-based Instruction
MSCHE
Standard
Addressed:
Standard 11: Educational Offerings
Standard 12: General Education
Standard 13: Related Educational Activities
Meeting Date:
Meeting Time:
Meeting Location:
Group Chair:
•
Chair: Robert Friedman
Group Co-Chair:
•
Vice-Chair: Taha F. Marhaba Committee Advisors:
Committee Members
Present:
Committee Members
Excused:
Committee Guests:
To review Steering Committee Charge Questions
Meeting
Purpose:
Part 2: Agenda
Agenda
Items
1
Standard 11: Educational Offerings
1) How do NJIT’s academic programs display academic content, rigor, and
coherence appropriate to our mission?
Documentation: Past self-studies and MS reports; catalog
Assigned: S. Tricamo
1
2) How do the university’s accreditation agencies ensure the maintenance of
such academic content, rigor, and coherence?
Documentation: UCRC and Grad Council chairs; course assessments
Assigned: S. Tricamo; D. Lubliner
3) How does each degree program document and update articulated core
competencies, learning outcomes, student advancement and progression
standards, retention strategies, and outcomes assessment?
Documentation: Syllabi, catalog program description, course and program
assessment tools, advisor forms, Registrar
Assigned: R. Friedman
4) How well do students understand the purpose and interrelationship of the
requirements of their degree programs?
Documentation: Catalog, website, GUR preamble, student feedback session minutes
and summaries published in Vector.
Assigned: J. Robertson
5) How are students taught to think critically, analytically, and creatively within
their majors?
Documentation: Past self-studies; new GUR; research roadmap; new learning tools;
student chapter organizations; community service; Career Development Services;
minutes of advisory board meetings
Assigned: D. Lubliner
6) How has the curriculum been improved since the last self study in order to
increase student engagement and retention engagement?
Documentation: President’s strategic plan; Provost’sNJIT’s Learning Communities
initiative (statement from J. Redling); NSSE report summary.
Assigned: S. Tricamo
7) How do new degree programs emerge at NJIT? What standards and
processes are required for program approval on the institutional and state
level?
Documentation: UCRC/Grad Council/CAA minutes
Assigned: S. Tricamo
2 Standard 12: General Education
1) Do the General University Requirements (GUR)— NJIT’s undergraduate
general education program—lead to students acquiring and demonstrating
college-level proficiency in general education and essential skills, including
oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical
analysis and reasoning, information literacy, and technological competency?
Documentation: GUR pre-amble; ABET/SOA/SOM accreditation processes; HUM
101 portfolio assessment; Research Roadmap; Math common exams
Assigned: R. Friedman
2) Can we demonstrate proficiencies in the GUR?
Documentation: Math commons; HUM assessment
Assigned: R. Friedman
3) How does the GUR serve the NJIT mission?
Documentation: GUR Pre-amble
Assigned: R. Friedman
2
4) What is the orientation of the GUR? Should the general education program
designed to meet the needs of students in their respective professional degree
programs? Or is the general education program designed to be a cohesive
force independent of student major? (A: the latter)
Documentation: GUR statement
Assigned: R. Friedman
5) How are learning outcomes and assurance of learning integrated into the
GUR?
Documentation: Course syllabi; attendance and F/W policies
Assigned: R. Friedman
6) How does NJIT assess that students are meeting the institution's goals for
written communication, quantitative reasoning, and information literacy?
Documentation: Humanities assessments; math common exams; Research Roadmap
Assigned: R. Friedman
7) Has the GUR changed since the previous self study? If so, what has been the
reason for the changes?
Documentation: UCRC/CAA minutes; discussions with UCRC past chairs
Assigned: R. Friedman
8) Is there need to undertake review of the GUR in light of new degree program
initiatives during the period of the current self study?
Documentation: UCRC/CAA minutes; discussions with deans council
Assigned: R. Friedman
9) If such review is to take place, how can the GUR be structured to engage and
retain students? A: new math courses and new composition sequence
Documentation: syllabi; Moodle; Learning Community Initiative.
Assigned: R. Friedman
3 Standard 13: Related Educational Activities
1) How may we best describe the existing efforts and future direction for our
basic skills placement, instructional, and assessment efforts in writing and
mathematics?
Documentation: Statements from NLE and Jonathan Luke (Note: we still have no
one from Math on the sub-committee)
2) When admitted international students lack proficiency in written and oral
English, what programs and procedures are in place to ensure that these
students are prepared and engaged?
Documentation: Statement from J. Paris
3) How may we best describe the existing efforts and future directions for each
of the following: E-Learning, Experiential Learning, Non-Credit Offerings,
and Graduate Certificate Programs?
Documentation: Statement from G. Spak
4) How is quality assured for students in our certificate programs?
Documentation: Statement from G. Spak
5) What evidence exists that the achievements of learning goals of students in
distance learning courses is similar to that of students in face-to-face
courses?
Documentation: Statement from Institutional Research (P. Deess); course
3
evaluations
Assigned: P. Deess
6) How has the NJIT concept of distance learning evolved since the last selfstudy?
Documentation: Statement from W. Reynolds, TLT
7) What has been the impact of E-Learning upon NJIT's student engagement
and retention?
Documentation: Statement from Institutional Research
8) What affiliate relationships does NJIT have with other institutions, and how
are these relationships maintained and assessed?
Documentation: Statement from Provost; Statement from Admissions
Assigned: T. Marhaba
Part 3: Discussion of Agenda
Discussion
on Agenda
Items
1. Review of
Questions
2. Suggested
Additional
Questions
3
4
5
Part 4: Action Items from Agenda
Action on
Agenda
Individual
Responsible
1. Contact
with MSCHE
Chair and
Vice Chair to
Review
Questions
2. Contact
with MSCHE
Chair and
Vice Chair to
Suggest
Additional
Questions
4
3
4
5
Part 5: Remaining Questions
Questions
to be
Answered
Individual
Best Able
to Provide
Answers
1
2
3
4
5
5